Leon, Leon (BoyxNB romance)

Chapter 26

I closed the front door behind me, taking a moment to let the heat of the house be absorbed into me. Man, it was only the end of October, but it was freezing already. Frost in the morning was pretty much a given by now, and even with a shining sun and clear sky, I couldn’t shake off goosebumps.
“Oh, man,” I said loudly, taking off my shoes. “I am so glad it’s the weekend.” I opened the living room door, slowly, my socked feet sinking into the carpet. Was there ever much of a better feeling? “Some shit happened to me today that I just need to get off my back, if you don’t- Oh, hello.”

I looked over to the sofa, where an Indian (Or maybe Pakistani or something – I don’t know enough to be able to tell the difference) woman was sitting, her hair up tight in a bun and her hands holding a clipboard and a pen.

“Good afternoon,” she smiled. “It is nice to meet you.”
“Oh, my God, I’m sorry, I didn’t know people were coming over today, uh... am I interrupting? I should probably leave.”
“Oh, no, it is quite alright. You must be Callum, yes? Anne’s son. You live here, don’t you?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Mam has told you about me?”
She smiled. “Yes, she told me lots.” She chuckled. “And Leon has said quite a bit, too, since we have been talking.”
I felt myself blushing, and I could see him hiding his head in his hands out of embarrassment. I felt a touch on my shoulder, and then jumped as my mother walked into the room past me, holding a mug of hot liquid. “Let’s hope it’s all good things, is it?” She said. “And it was black coffee you wanted, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, that is perfect, thank you.” She tucked a lock of black hair behind her ear. “If you do not mind, Callum, I need to talk to Leon alone for a little while longer – just to fill out these forms about what has happened, you see – and them you are more than welcome to come back for the rest. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, sure,” I smiled. I waved over to Leon, glad his bruises had become a little less gruesome and hoping they felt better, too. “We’ll wait in the kitchen, is it, Mam ?
“Alright. Call me if you need anything, biscuits, the heating turned on, anything like that,” she said. “We’re only in the room opposite.”
“Many thanks, Miss Thompson. This is one of the most comfortable places I have been in for quite a while.”

My mother smiled, and then walked across the hallway, the kitchen door still open, and I followed behind her. “So how are you doing, kiddo?” She asked. “I know shifts have been rough, lately. We haven’t got to talk much.”
“It’s okay, Mam. Things have been alright, generally. I guess Milly told you about Leon?”
“Yeah. Late last night she rung work, since I’m useless with my mobile, and told me the basic situation. I talked to the boy a bit today – he’s ever so sweet, you know, he talked to me about wanting to be a doctor and he helped to pick out some flower seeds to buy for the garden – and while we were doing stuff he told me a lot of the rest of the story. After we finished talking, I felt so strongly for him – it must come partially from being a mother, I guess – and he agreed to let me talk to some people about it, to help him. I was going to pick a time to go out to a centre, but Prisha said she was free and in the area now – and I just thought it would be good for him. It’s good you’re not home too late, though. I think your opinion in this matters as well.”
“I just want whatever’s best for him, Mam,” I said. “It's sudden, and I could've done with some time to prepare, to be honest, but it's fine. I just want him to be happy.”
“I know love, I know – and I could tell you cared about each other a lot, just from the way he talked about you. It’s difficult to look at him now, I know, but the fact that she is here is a sign that things will get better for him.”
“But it’s so hard to be positive, you know? Like, this could have been going on for years. I couldn’t even tell stuff like that was going on when we first met, like it seems obvious now but his crooked nose and teeth just seemed a part of him. He can hide being okay so easily, and it’s scary.”
“From my experience... when people do bad things, there are two things you can do. You can either leave them, and possibly lose everything – someone you’ve known your whole life, your friends, family – or you can put up with it, and get used to it. And while from the outside the first one feels like the obvious choice, it can be terrifying. And your father never hit me, of course, but I can still understand that fear. Sometimes you just think the pain is worth it.”
“Y... yeah, Mam, I get it. I just... I guess I always wish I could do something more, even if it’s impossible.”
“We all do, sweetheart, that’s one of the best traits to have. But I can tell you make him happy, and having a friend is probably the best thing for him right now. And don’t worry, I promise. It’ll all work out from here.”